Among current stars, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki are the two best NBA players to never win an NBA championship. And that's what makes the Dallas-Miami NBA finals so compelling: Who needs the ring more, LeBron or Dirk?

Both carry the psychological baggage of past postseason failures. Nowitzki and Dallas advanced to the NBA finals in 2006, took a 2-0 series lead over Miami, then lost four consecutive games. Nowitzki made only 38 percent of his shots in the four straight losses.

James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2007 finals but got swept away in four games by San Antonio. In the four games, James made only 35 percent of his shots from the floor and committed 23 turnovers. James was only 22 then, and getting back to the finals has taken longer than expected.

Each star suffered subsequent failures. Nowitzki played poorly in the first round of the 2007 Western Conference playoffs, and No. 1 seed Dallas was upset by No. 8 seed Golden State. James and the Cavs were taken down in consecutive Eastern Conference finals by Orlando (2009) and Boston (2010.) James wasn't exactly Spartacus in losing to Boston last year.

The frustrating failure prompted James to defect from Cleveland and sign a free-agent deal with Miami last summer. Though James famously announced he was "taking my talents to South Beach," the move had nothing to do with the sun and the surf. James needed help to win that elusive NBA championship, so he teamed with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

"Deep down in my heart, as much as I love my teammates in Cleveland, I knew I couldn't do it by myself," James told reporters after Miami eliminated Boston in the second round.

James told reporters that he regularly watches tapes of San Antonio's 2007 rout for extra motivation. "I think about it all the time," he said.

Nowitzki hasn't watched the tapes of the collapse of 2006. "I think I would just be so sick to my stomach," he told interviewer Dan Patrick. "But I still have a lot on my memory. I mean, all sorts of stuff is still on my mind."

When the NBA finals get under way Tuesday night in Miami, James and Nowitzki will have a chance to redefine themselves. There's a long list of exceptional players who retired without winning an NBA championship ring. And it's safe to say that James and Nowitzki have no desire to join a club that includes Karl Malone, Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing and Dominique Wilkins.

James and Nowitzki have brought urgency and hunger to the 2011 postseason. They've been the best two players in the playoffs, locked into the attack mode, repeatedly hitting tough shots and making plays with games on the line.

Nowitzki, the dexterous 7-footer, has buried opponents with soft outside jumpers and tenacious play near the basket to draw fouls. He's averaging 28.4 points and shooting 52 percent. In addition to averaging 26 points, James has keyed a tremendous Miami defensive effort that smothered quality playoff opponents such as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Derrick Rose.

James and Nowitzki are clearly ready for this moment.

So let's return to the central question: Who needs this championship more?

If age is the top consideration, then there's certainly more pressure on Nowitzki. He's 32 and a veteran of 13 NBA seasons. James is only 26 and in the prime of his career. He has time on his side.

That said, I believe there's considerably more pressure on James for these five reasons:

1) James is the best player in the league, the self-proclaimed "King" James. And by the time he's done, James may rate among the most elite players in NBA history. A king is expected to rule, especially after shopping for better teammates to enhance his title chances. An all-time great player is supposed to collect rings.

2) There's even more pressure on James to deliver now that Scottie Pippen, the retired Chicago Bull, ludicrously suggested that James could supplant Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history. Pippen later backed off the comment, but the damage was done. Pippen didn't do James any favors. With Pippen as a teammate, Jordan won six NBA championships in Chicago and was a great scorer and defender. Shouldn't we wait for James to win at least one title before elevating him to Jordan's air? If Miami loses to Dallas, James will be subjected to even more ridicule because of the idiotic Jordan comparison.

3) While James opted for the free-agent market to form a super-group band with Wade and Bosh, Nowitzki has patiently stayed in Dallas, working with a changing cast of teammates, comfortable with putting his career in the hands of one organization. Winning a championship would be an exhilarating cap to a brilliant, 10-time All-Star career; it's not as if Nowitzki will be seriously downgraded in history if he doesn't get it done.

4) James took a huge hit in his popularity with his callous exit from Cleveland. According to the Q Score Company, which runs polls to gauge a celebrity's popularity, James was the sixth-most disliked sports personality in the summer of 2010 — behind Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco and Kobe Bryant. Not much has changed. In an updated ESPN survey, James was named as the favorite NBA player by 4.5 percent of respondents. In April 2010, James was the favorite of 9 percent of the respondents, so that's a 50 percent drop in a year.

5) Outside of South Florida, fans want to see James and Miami lose, and the Heat players know it. "We have about a month left of the hate," James told reporters after the Heat eliminated Chicago. Winning, and lots of it, is the only way for James and the Heat to raise their popularity. This is a bandwagon sports culture.

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